Football: CU Buffs' lineman Bakhtiari declares for NFL draft

Junior tackle started 11 games for Colorado in 2012

Colorado offensive tackle David Bakhtiari started 33 of 34 games he played in during his career with the Buffs. On Tuesday, he declared to enter the 2013 NFL draft. (Paul Aiken/The Daily Camera)

Colorado offensive lineman David Bakhtiari became the seventh player in the program's history to cut short his college career and declare for the NFL draft and the first to do so in a decade.

Bakhtiari announced Tuesday through the school's sports information department he has decided to forego his senior season in 2013 and enter the April draft. Bakhtiari said he made the decision receiving feedback from a group of NFL executives who provide underclassmen with an analysis of where they believe those players would be drafted.

Bakhtiari said he has been told he can expect to be picked in the second or third round. He said he also spoke with former CU coach Jon Embree and former offensive line coach Steve Marshall about the decision and they reached out to contacts in the league who said Bakhtiari might even go higher than the second round.

"I woke up yesterday (Monday) and decided this is what I want to do," Bakhtiari said in a news release from the school. "I've been contemplating this for a long time. It didn't have anything to do with Jon Embree being fired; I had always intended to see where the NFL was going position me after I submitted myself for the review."

Despite playing on one of the worst teams record-wise at the Bowl Championship Series level the past two seasons, Bakhtiari has earned second team All-Pac-12 honors as voted by the conference's coaches in both seasons.

Bakhtiari also spoke with new coach Mike MacIntyre and new offensive line coach Gary Bernardi before making his decision.

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Bakhtiari's departure sets up a likely spring battle at left tackle between sophomore-to-be Marc Mustoe, who finished the 2012 seasons second on the depth chart at the position and Alexander Lewis who started all 12 games at left guard in 2012.

It's possible sophomore-to-be Stephane Nembot also could compete for the job.

Bakhtiari, who was recruited to CU by former offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, now at Oregon, started 33 of 34 games he played in during his career. He played in 11 games in 2012 and graded out as CU's top offensive linemen. He is four classes shy of earning his degree in communication.

"I loved my time at CU," Bakhtiari said in CU's news release. "In my career, I would have had three head coaches and four O-line coaches if I stayed for senior year, and I could have dealt with that. It came down to what we (he and his family) believe is the best decision for me. Before I even thought about playing football, CU was one of the schools I really thought I wanted to go to. I made great friends, met my girlfriend there, had great friends on the team, loved the school and especially the overall atmosphere and setting. There are a lot of things man can make, but he can't make those Flatirons."

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